1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a method of processing a photosensitive material and a photosensitive material processor which permit the standard processing of general photosensitive materials and the processing of a particular photosensitive material such as for quick processing.
2. Description of the Related Art:
A photographed photographic film (e.g., negative film) is pulled out from a film supplying device, is transported to a developing device where the film is subjected to development processing. Subsequently, the film is exposed on a photographic printing paper for each image frame, and the photographic printing paper is developed as photographic prints. As laboratories for developing and printing such photographed negative films, there are so-called large labs which handle negative films in large volumes and small-scale so-called mini labs which handle negative films in small volumes.
In mini labs, since the amount of processing is small, compact apparatuses are used respectively as an apparatus for developing the negative films, an apparatus for exposing photographic printing papers in accordance with images on the developed negative films, and an apparatus for developing the exposed photographic printing papers. Among such compact apparatuses, there are apparatuses in which the respective steps are integrated to improve the operating efficiency.
There has been a growing number of customers who wish to have their photographed negative films developed soon to see photographic prints, and mini labs capable of effecting short-time processing are increasing in number. In such mini labs, after developing the negative film brought in by the customer, exposure is effected immediately on the photographic printing paper to prepare photographic prints, thereby making it possible to turn over both the developed negative film and the photographic prints to the customer within a short time.
In an attempt to meet such a demand for quick processing, proposals have been made on photosensitive materials such as negative films which are capable of development processing in a short time. Such photosensitive materials capable of quick processing should desirably make it possible to obtain excellent photographic characteristics not only in quick processing but in processing in a standard processing step. However, there are photographic materials which, when processed with standard processing solutions as with general photosensitive materials, make it possible to obtain the same finish as with general photographic materials, but which, in the case of quick processing, produce differences in gradation for each color in the finished photographic prints. In addition, in the case of photosensitive materials which, when subjected to quick processing, are capable of obtaining the same finish as when a standard photosensitive material is subjected to standard processing, there are photosensitive materials which produce differences in gradation if the photosensitive materials are subjected to standard processing.
That is, in the first example, when a negative film for quick processing is subjected to standard processing, it is possible to obtain the same finish as when a negative film for standard processing is subjected to standard processing. However, differences arise in the gradation of each color as compared to the case where the negative film for quick processing is processed by a quick processor. For this reason, it has been virtually difficult to perform the exposure processing of these negative films in the same way as ordinary negative films. Consequently, it has been necessary to separately provide apparatuses for processing the negative films for quick processing when the negative films for quick processing are processed quickly.